Activist Agenda for Arlington County

Arlington Board Chairman Puts Lifestyle Issues on County's Agenda

Newly installed Arlington County Board Chairman J. Walter Tejada (D), the highest-ranking Latino official in Northern Virginia, yesterday unveiled an activist, and potentially controversial, agenda for 2008 at the county's annual organizing session.

He said he would encourage restaurants to ban the use of trans fat in foods, seek to eliminate smoking in public places and require property owners to pay relocation assistance to low-income tenants who are displaced. The county also will urge residents to give up their cars to save money and reduce greenhouse gases.

Tejada was online Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss and address criticism of his proposals.

A transcript follows.

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J. Walter Tejada: Good morning, everyone and Happy New Year. I'm Walter Tejada and I'm honored to serve as Chairman of the Arlington County Board this year. I'm ready to chat!

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Arlington, Va. 22202: Mr. Tejada-

Congratulations on your new role for the county. I know all of us in South Arlington are hopeful that you will make sure that our voices are heard and our needs are met (something, rightly or wrongly, many of us don't feel has been the case in recent years).

We look forward to working with you.

J. Walter Tejada: Thank you for this very important comment. I absolutely believe in equity throughout Arlington. It's important to me that people have an opportunity to voice their concerns on matters that affect their everyday lives. I encourage you to provide input as we make progress this year on County initiatives... I welcome your feedback as we go.

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Arlington, Va.: Mr. Tejada, congratulations on your election and ambitious agenda. I strongly support a ban on smoking and encourage you to do whatever we can as Arlingtonians to eliminate smoking in public places, especially restaurants. I love Arlington, and regret that I have recently been choosing to eat out in D.C. rather than Arlington just to get away from the smoke.

J. Walter Tejada: Thanks for raising this issue -- it's an important topic for me. While we do not yet have the authority to ban smoking in the County, we most certainly can and will encourage voluntary compliance -- not only by restaurants, but also by a wide range of other businesses. We have already encouraged a non-smoking policy in all our government facilities and County vehicles. This is a key component of our FitArlington initiative. The Governor is supporting a non-smoking policy for all state government facilities... I hope we can intensify these efforts in the Commonwealth!

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Arlington, Va.: Thank you for taking my question,

How can you expect people to ditch their car when Metro takes more than 15 minutes at times...both on weekends and weekdays?

Also, your proposal to allow people to build onto their houses will create more overcrowing and little shanty-like towns that will amount to nothing more than a squatters villages by low-income and illegel residents of Arlington County. As a resident and homeowner in Arlington, this scared me. What is your response to this?

J. Walter Tejada: Hi -- Our "Car-Free Diet" is encouraging folks to try to leave their cars behind and take alternative transportation at least once a week. We're trying to encourage people to think differently. This is not only good for the environment, but it's also great for our physical health. Visit www.carfreediet.com and take our calculator challenge!

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washingtonpost.com: Car-Free Diet

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Clarendon, Va.: I am concerned that you are out to tax the younger crowd in an effort to appeal to the immigrants. Why should I pay for relocation expenses when I already am heavily taxed and can barely make apartment payments? How about doing something for a group other than the immigrants, you are supposed to be working for everyone.

J. Walter Tejada: The relocation plan that I envision will largely be supported by developers -- who are redeveloping existing residential properties (and making a healthy profit). I hope that someday, if you yourself are displaced, that our relocation plan could help you. I am here to represent all Arlingtonians.

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(South) Arlington, Va.: I would like to applaud your efforts to encourage Arlingtonians to go car-free (though not a big fan of transfat and smoking free efforts).

For those of us who don't live at a Metro station or on a bicycle trail, there are a lot of areas and intersections that could benefit from improvements. I have lived in South Arlington car-free for 3 years, but it can be a struggle -- particularly as a bicyclist. Just one of many examples - Quaker Lane near my house has a light that seems to be car-activiated, so when I'm on my bicycle, I have to wait for a car to come or the light will never change. Also, riding Mt Vernon home from D.C. at night is terrifying, but there is not a good substitute.

J. Walter Tejada: In Arlington, believe it or not, we have 89 miles of dedicated bike lanes and trails... in just 26 square miles! Bike transportation is a big priority for us -- for example, we ask developers to include bike parking spaces for all new developments. You can view www.bikearlington.com for all sorts of helpful information. If you have suggestions about specific intersections for improvements, please send them to us at countyboard@arlingtonva.us. I always welcome suggestions!

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Ballston, Va.: I am concerned that you care more about those who do not have the legal right to vote, than those who do. Will you address illegal immigrants at all or are you just going to ignore the issue for your term in office?

J. Walter Tejada: I care about all Arlingtonians. Arlington has a tradition of being a welcoming, inclusive community. That will not change. Of course, we need to have a legal and orderly immigration system, but the system today is broken. While the issue of immigration has been discussed by local governments recently, Congress and the President are responsible for fixing the system, and have failed to meet that responsibility. Arlington County complies with all federal and state laws. We in local government are responsible for securing the harmony of all residents who reside in our community and pay taxes.

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washingtonpost.com: Bike Arlington.com

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22201: Mr. Tejada,

Any updates on the status of the Columbia Pike revitalization? Will the street car/tram ever actually be built?

J. Walter Tejada: My hope is that we will build a street car line -- an important part of Columbia Pike's revitalization. We are more optomistic now that we have some funding dedicated to transportation through the Transportation Bill approved last year by the General Assembly. The reality is that it will take time before we can make our vision of a street car a reality. In the meantime, we are proceeding with revitalization efforts for the Pike. This year, we are starting the Columbia Pike Housing Initiative, to ensure that we identify preservation and new possibilities of affordable housing.

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Arlington, Va.: Dear Mr. Tejada,

Congratulations on your Board chairmanship! While I am in agreement with most of your proposals, I am seriously concerned about the proposal to alter zoning rules to allow basement apartments and other rentals in areas dominated by single-family dwellings. In my former neighborhood, I've seen where several have houses have sheltered many unrelated people (beyond an extended family), and the extra traffic, cars on the street and activity is a nuisance. There's anonymity in the reduced stability. You can't keep up with who is your neighbor when there are many people coming and going. (And yes, it was a factor in our decision to move.)

While I am all for increasing affordable housing, your proposal to put a bunch of rentals in the middle of traditional single family housing neighborhoods is very troubling. Put your energies into saving what affordable housing we have left, or force the developers to create affordable housing to go along with their fancy condos.

J. Walter Tejada: Thank you for this very important question. We are considering the possibility of accessory dwelling units, both the traditional "English basements" and other possible options.

We are looking for creative ways to meet the pressing needs of our community for affordable housing in a way that makes sense for Arlington. In a region with a high cost of living, new alternatives need to be explored. My main objective is to have a thorough evaluation of this option.

Our Housing Commission recently completed a review of this issue and we will begin the community discussion soon. Whether it is renting a room to someone just starting, a college graduate, or a senior aging in place -- this is a possibility that we can and should evaluate. Who knows -- we may conclude it is only applicable in some places, not in others. I welcome your participation in this community conversation.

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Arlington, Va.: Mr. Tejada,

Thank you for taking our questions today. Can you tell us what will happen to the AIRE initiative and other efforts to protect the environment in 2008?

J. Walter Tejada: Excellent question. Fresh AIRE is here to stay -- and then some. We have a history of environmental stewardship in Arlington that was elevated last year through Fresh AIRE and the establishment of dedicated funding for environmental issues in the County. Our effort to combat global warming is here to stay -- and we are always looking for ways to improve it. One example: promotion of the Car Free Diet. Visit www.carfreediet.com for more information!

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Arlington, Va.: I'm surprised at the previous questioner's hostility towards the proposed changes in the accessory dwelling unit law. I'm eager for a change as I try to accomodate my need for live-in care for my young children and a prospective need for living space for my aging parents. But Mr. Tejada, do you believe the expert's calculation in the committee report that there will be just 28 of these AD's built in the county each year?

J. Walter Tejada: Thank you for your comment. The numbers you cite I believe are based on a survey of other jurisdictions around the United States who have implemented ordinances allowing accessory dwelling units. What I want to focus on in Arlington is what we may -- or may not -- be able to do here. Your specific examples are what we are trying to address. As baby boomers continue to retire, accessory units could be an age-in-place option that helps meet the changing needs of our seniors.

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Arlington, Va.: Thank you for being a positive role model for the Latino youth in our community and the whole D.C. metro Area. It gives me great pride that I can now point to your story to the at-risk youth that I work with in our county. From an American-Salvadorean to another, Congratulations!

J. Walter Tejada: Thank you for your kind words. I believe in our youth and want to do everything I can to inspire them to follow a productive path. My Community Role models program develops leadership and welcomes the participation of our young adult population. We plan to expand that program this year. Wherever we come from to our Arlington community, we all ought to be proud of our roots and celebrate our cultures. I believe we can become a better community through this approach.

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Arlington, Va. 22207: What is the status of blight properties in the county? Is there any process or opportunities for an individual or family to purchase a blighted property with the intention of building a new house or will any blight property that doesn't eventually meet compliance just be sold to big developers?

J. Walter Tejada: Fortunately, we have aggressively addressed the issue of blighted properties in Arlington. Our late Chairman, Charles Monroe, made this a top priority. We have tried hard to live up to his expectations. Due to the relatively high property values in Arlington, very few properties have tax liens or foreclosures that create the kinds of opportunities you are talking about. But if you know of any particular properties that are suffering from blight, please let me know -- or contact our Code Enforcement office.

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Washington, D.C.: Congratulations on becoming Chairman and good luck to you in your new role.

Several of your top priorities as outlined in your agenda appear to be contingent on the state granting the county greater authority such as banning smoking and transfats, requiring relocation assistance. How do you intend to get around this obstacle?

J. Walter Tejada: While indeed localities cannot do what the State does not explicitly authorize (Dillon Rule in Virginia), we can still move things forward to protect our community's health and environment. We are strongly encouraging voluntary compliance and have a large number of restaurants who already have joined this effort. But I don't want to be on the sidelines, waiting for the state to act. There will be a bill proposed by State Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, on our behalf, that would give us greater authority to deal with eliminating smoking in public places. I would like to ask you and others who believe in a healthier community to support that bill and contact others around the state to help us create the momentum we need to change the law. It is going to be a tough battle, but we didn't just come here to talk about the weather.

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Arlington, Va.: Arlington is tiny and could easily rearrange its high school boundaries. There really is no excuse for having one super-wealthy, mostly white school (Yorktown HS) and one moderate income to poor, mostly non-white school (Wakefield HS) with Washington-Lee in the middle. Why not mix up the boundaries of each high school? Every time The Post does rankings of area high schools Yorktown does well and Wakefield does horribly. It's time for the County Board to stop pretending there is not this de facto segregation in its schools.

J. Walter Tejada: I am determined to improve communications between the County Board and members of the School Board. I will bring this comment to their attention and I encourage you to also contact them directly, since they are the ones who will be making these decisions. Personally, I am very proud of our public school system, which has been ranked No. 1 in the nation by Forbes magazine, but there is always room for improvement.

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J. Walter Tejada: We are nearing the end of this chat, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your questions and suggestions. I believe that Arlington is the best community in the world -- yes, I'm biased. I'm here to do my best this year to maintain our high quality of life that we are so fortunate to enjoy. Wherever we can find room for improvement, we will do our best. I look forward to working with all Arlingtonians to maintain our County as an inclusive community in which each person is important.

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